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Doctors have sounded the alarm on a dangerous and complex health condition that affects nearly 90 percent of U.S. adults — and that the majority of Americans haven’t even heard of. Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome is a health condition that describes the overlap of kidney disease, diabetes, obesity and heart disease. The latter is the nation’s top killer. More than 240 million Americans have at least one risk factor for CKM syndrome, such as high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, high blood sugar, excess weight and reduced kidney function. But people often have more than one of these factors, leaving them at a higher risk for stroke, heart attack and heart failure. One in three have three risk factors or more, according to the American Kidney Fund. “We want people to know that it’s really common to have heart, kidney and metabolic risk factors at the same time,” Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, the American Heart Association’s chief medical officer for prevention, said in a statement. The urgent message, released two years after a presidential advisory on CKM syndrome, was made alongside the results of the association’s August online survey. The poll found 88 percent of its more than 4,000 respondents had not heard of CKM syndrome. Some 42 percent of survey respondents said they believed that a healthy heart would likely not be damaged by health issues in other organ systems, or weren’t sure if it could be. But the reality is that all the body’s organs are connected, and problems in one area can often lead to negative heart outcomes. Kidney disease can increase the risk of heart disease. Diabetes and high blood pressure are also two of the leading causes of kidney disease, according to the American Kidney Fund. People with diabetes are two to four times as likely as others to develop cardiovascular disease, Johns Hopkins Medicine says. “The heart, kidney and metabolic systems are connected and, as such, should be treated in a coordinated way,” Sanchez added. Nearly 80 percent of those polled also said it was important for them to learn more about their health and how CKM syndrome is treated and diagnosed. To that end, the American Heart Association will issue the first ever CKM syndrome guidelines early next year. Still, doctors say there are steps people can take to reverse CKM syndrome. Three out of four U.S. adults are able to reverse CKM syndrome with changes to eating patterns, physical activity and appropriate treatment, the association said. A better diet and more exercise are two simple ways to reduce the risk of death from heart disease, developing diabetes, obesity and managing kidney disease. That can mean getting more cardio and eating more nutritious fruits and vegetables. Patients can be diagnosed with CKM syndrome using a series of tests conducted by doctors. The tests check blood pressure, blood sugar, kidney function, body mass index and coronary artery calcium, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Patients may need heart or weight loss surgery, if found to have advanced CKM syndrome. Black Americans, and older adults above age 65, are at a greater risk of severe illness. However, nearly 80 percent of adults between the ages of 20 and 44 years old already have CKM syndrome risk factors, according to Mass General Brigham. “CKM health is about your overall health,” said Sanchez. “It’s a full circle. You can take care of your overall health with regular checks of your blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, blood sugar and kidney function.”
